Diabetes Diagnosis
Diabetes is usually diagnosed one of the following ways:
- Fasting plasma glucose (blood sugar) is 126 mg/dL or higher on a laboratory test
- Plasma glucose (blood sugar) over 200 mg/dL at any time of day with symptoms of diabetes such as increased hunger, increased thirst, and increased urination symptoms
- Plasma glucose (blood sugar) of 200 mg/dL or higher two hours after drinking a 75-g glucose beverage in the lab which is known as an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
A diagnosis of diabetes may be confirmed by a repeat test on another day.
Pre-Diabetes Diagnosis
Pre-Diabetes is usually diagnosed one of the following ways:
- Fasting plasma glucose (blood sugar) is betwen 100 and 125 mg/dL on a lab test (used to be called impaired fasting glucose)
- Plasma glucose (blood sugar) is between 140 and 199 mg/dL two hours after drinking a 75-g glucose beverage (OGTT) in the lab (used to be called impaired glucose tolerance)
Gestational Diabetes
Diagnosis Initial screening/ Glucose Challenge test:
- Test usually done between the 24-28th weeks of pregnancy
- If plasma glucose (blood sugar) is over 140 mg/dL one hour after drinking 50-g glucose beverage in the lab, your physician may order a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
Three hour OGTT
If two or more plasma glucose (sugar) levels are higher than the numbers below after drinking a 100-g glucose beverage in the lab, gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed:
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Fasting: normal less than 95 mg/dL
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1-hour: normal less than 180 mg/dL
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2-hour: normal less than 155 mg/dL
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3-hour: normal less than 140 mg/dL
